The Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
in Parkland, Florida, has brought school safety and student freedom of
expression to the forefront of public debate. Canyons School District has
recently implemented a variety of measures to keep students in the area’s
schools safe. The district has also taken measures to afford students ways to
express their concerns about school safety.

As students across the country have participated in walkouts
to show their concerns about gun violence and safety in schools, Canyons School
District has worked to find ways for students to participate in similar events
while maintaining order in its schools. The district’s strategy has involved
providing safe places and additional police security for walkout events on
March 14 and again on April 20.

“We respect students’ first amendment rights to express
themselves,” said Jeff Haney, director of the Canyons School District’s Office
of Public Communications. “We also want to preserve instruction time. Safe
places are provided for students to participate in short demonstrations, while
school goes on as normal for those not participating.”

The District planned for additional police presence at
schools on the days of expected demonstrations.

In addition to planning for these events, Canyons School
District has developed a strategy for combating and preventing violence in
schools. One element of this approach involves how visitors can enter and
access schools.

“Any visitor must go through the front doors and check in,”
said Haney. “Visitors must have an appointment, and even volunteers who have
registered in advance must check in.”

Most schools in the district have been equipped with
security vestibules, which require people to go into the office before being
buzzed through the doors to enter the school. Schools that are scheduled to be
built or remodeled using funds from the recent voter-approved bond will also be
equipped with security vestibules.

State law requires all volunteers in schools to go through
rigorous background checks. All teachers and support staff must also pass
background checks.

In addition to secure entrances, schools in the district are
equipped with security cameras. “There isn’t a time when we can’t see what’s
happening in our schools,” Haney said. “We have access to real-time and
archived footage.”

All police departments with jurisdiction within the
district’s boundaries have partnerships with Canyons School District to provide
resource officers at all of its schools.

“This is a huge help in sending a message to the community
and building relationships with students,” Haney said. “So students feel like
they can go up to them and tell them if something is happening.”

Cottonwood Heights Police Department has been actively
involved in the city’s schools.

“We have extremely good coverage with our officers and get
in there with teachers to solve problems and to foresee any problems,” said
Sgt. Ryan Shosted. “I feel lucky because we have such good guys in there.”

In partnership with University of Utah Healthcare, students
also have access to the SafeUT app. “The SafeUT Crisis Text and Tip Line is a
statewide service that provides real-time crisis intervention to youth through
texting and a confidential tip program — right from your smartphone,” according
to University of Utah Healthcare.

Through the app over the past year, students have relayed 10–12
tips per day concerning the well-being of friends or of students who could
cause harm to another student. “This is a way for students to be the eyes and
ears of schools,” Haney said.

As the district works to build its new schools, committees providing
input on the projects have insisted on additional security measures in the
design of the new facilities. The new Alta, Brighton and Hillcrest High Schools
will have security vestibules like other recently built schools as well as
hallways with clear lines of sight to entrances.

Concern for student safety continues to grow with each
instance of violence. Preventing future incidents will require continued
vigilance on a number of levels, from policy, school design, and resource
officers to parents and students themselves.